Resource for finding new clients

Hello Amy,

In addition to guru.com I have two more worth checking out.

Odesk and Getfreelancer

The On Demand Global Workforce - oDesk

Getafreelancer

I hope this will give you more exposure.

I started off with www.Getafreelancer.com and found it to be a great place to look for opportunities.Had a lot of success over there...

Those looked great. Unfortunately they don't apply to me not being in the technology business. If only I charged for my time ; - )

My Best,

Jeff Collins Professional Haberdasher www.MyHaberdasher.com

Yikes, I had an awful experience with Guru. For Virtual Assistants, for example, many people wanted to pay only $7-$8 per hour. I felt like I wasted my time and the $40 I spent for a "Pro" profile. YUCK!

Brianna, I just checked out Getafreelancer.com and someone was looking for a VA for $2/hour!! Yahoo!

Sign me up! Hehehe. There iare companies out there that outsource from other countries for $2 an hour. Good for them. They get what they pay for in this case.

Guru and all the other bidding sites pretty much blows now. Filled with low ballers and spec work.

Here are few tips I use finding potential clients.

Press Releases/E-Newsletter - Have some exciting news or completed a successful project? That's a good reason to send out a press release or e-newsletter. Send e-newsletters to current and potential clients. Send press releases to media outlets (on-line, local and industry related papers/magazines). A few free on-line resources to post your press releases.

PR Log

PR Leap

Free Press Release

Start a Blog - Write articles. Makes you an expert in your field. Potential clients will see that you know your stuff and trust to hire you. It's all about building trust and relations.

Industry Competitions - Enter your works in industry competitions.

Join Networking Social Events - It lets people know who you are and what you do.

Friends & Family - Let friends and family know what you do. This is one of the best resources for potential clients. Referrals from friends and family has a good word of mouth factor.

Ask For Referrals - Ask friends, family, clients: current/previous, printers, paper sales reps, pre-press houses for referrals.

Volunteer - Volunteer in your community and non-profits. More about networking and building trust.

Local Papers - The local news papers, business section. Often print the names and addresses of those applying for a business licenses.

Keep Your Eyes Open - Look for new construction or businesses moving into the area. Get their information. A good chance they may need creative services.

Find a Niche Market - Specialize in an area of expertise that other companies may not be filling the need for.

Chamber of Commerce - Chamber of Commerce may have a list of their members info for free on-line. Joining the Chamber of Commerce is another option for networking and potential clients.

Business Cards - Bring business cards with you everywhere you go. Strike up a conversation with people when you are out. You never who you may run into.

On-Line Directories - Get listed on free and paid on-line directories.

On-Line Networking Site - Get listed on on-line networking sites.

On-Line Forums - Post on forums, industry related markets you are targeting.

Signatures - Have a signature of your contact information on all correspondence, emails stationery and forum posts, etc.

Marketing Websites/Blogs - Check out other marketing sites/blogs, Inside the Marketing Mind and The Marketing Mix for ideas and tips.

Calvin,

Thanks for the awesome tips...especially the press release sites! Much appreciated!

Bri

If you live in America, don't expect to be able to make a living off of guru.com/ework.com/getafreelancer/rentacoder for anything that can be done online.

About 7 years ago, I used to use all of these sites for finding moonlighting work. A lead I met in real-life I could charge $75/hour to, the online sites I was lucky if I could do $45/hour. The few wins to be had were:

• Projects that clearly stated how poorly the customer's first attempt with a cheap provider had failed
• Projects of people within a 100 mile radius, who I could get face time with
• The small handful of customers who understood that my $10k bid would provide far more value than an offshore company's $2k bid.

Michael,

Though i started off with Getafreelancer.com but gave up quickly once i could establish myself and build some base.Thereafter i have always got work from my previous clients and word of mouth publicity.

I have realized few things over a period of time during my freelancing career:

1. If you can deliever quality work each and everytime, you will always get work and get paid what you demand.
2. Guard your reputation with your life.
3. "Walk the talk".
4. Always under-promise but over-deliever.
5. Let your work speak for you.
6. Last but not least dont compromise with quality of your work,your price and honour your commitments.

Unfortunately I agree with Michael here. Sites like guru.com and efreelance.com are just a drain on bidding to the lowest common denominator.

I have yet to see an online site that users actually bid on quality, rather than price. It is an unfortunate disaster waiting to happen... as in the past I have actually received business requests after having the work bidding out to the cheapest provider, only to find that the client didn't have enough budget left over to work with a real consultant the second time around (A.K.A. the client is out of money)

One of the key recommendations I throw out in my presentations for using virtual workers is to make sure you have enough budget to do it again with twice the price tag. If not, go with someone local with a solid reputation.

I represent Guru.com - if you haven't checked the site out in awhile, we have made some significant changes in response to the kinds of feedback presented here and elsewhere. We also just announced a Roadmap for future developments in the works now.

The biggest change is the use of Quality Score Rank - we're now capturing data about how well providers can attract and retain clients and generate earnings per customer. This data is then used to order the Rank and improve the visibility of those providers who have a proven track record of service excellence. If you're good, you have earned the right to get the best visibility with Employers. Most of the other sites are still using feedback which is subjective and has been known to be misused and inaccurrate. With the new Rank in place, when an Employer sees who is on top, they can be assured that that provider will most likely be top quality. The data is also reported back to the Provider so that he or she can identify strengths and weaknesses and work on improving efforts over time.

As for price, this is a marketing dilemma for providers. Our data shows that there are just as many Employers who will make selections on price as there are on quality. Likewise, there are just as many Employers who make the decision to offshore as there are who want to homeshore or keep it even more localized. When the provider posts a price, they are making critical branding and positioning statements that should be thought through strategically. We do have Freelancers on the site who are able to make a significant annual income (in some cases 6 figures); these folks are not bidding cost - as Anita says above, they let the quality of their prior work speak for itself and in return that quality commands the better pricing.

If I can answer any questions or forward any concerns, please feel free to contact me.

There are so many great tips in the comments of this thread! Thanks everyone! Lots and lots to think about for a budding bizniker :)

(oops - web hiccup created double post)

Hello Everyone, Prasen(jeet) a great Seo Analyst Available here from KarmickSolutions.Com/ I 'll appreciate if you 'd like to add me in your network so i'd be glad.

Kind Regards~ Prasenjit Dutta Chowdhury,a Seo Analyzer with Business Development & Web Marketing Consultant KarmickSolutions Pvt Ltd

Email - prasenjitchowdhury13@gmail.com(Gtalk) Skype - prasenjitduttachowdhury Yahoo Messenger -jeet_chowdhury@yahoo.com

Twitter Profile:- http://twitter.com/jeetseo13 Myspace :- http://www.myspace.com/prasenjeetseo Facebook:- http://www.facebook.com/prasenjeet.chowdhury Linkedin Profile:- http://www.linkedin.com/pub/prasenjit-chowdhury/13/b63/5b Network.thehouseofbusiness:- http://network.thehouseofbusiness.com/profile/PrasenjitDuttaChowdhury

Contact No:-+919432536570

So many ways to market ourselves, so little time. I love all the great advice and apply as much as I can yet I keep getting reminded of the saying "Do less, Better." and wonder where I can cut some fat.

Michelle

How many blogs and networks are too much for one person anyways?